On December 27, German President Steinmeier announced the dissolution of the German Federal Parliament, paving the way for early elections on February 23. This decision came after the collapse of the three-party alliance led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
In Berlin, President Steinmeier stated, “Especially in times of difficulty like the current situation, maintaining stability requires a government capable of taking action and a reliable majority in parliament. That’s why early elections are the right choice for Germany to move forward.”
Under Germany’s constitution post-World War II, the Federal Parliament cannot dissolve itself. It is up to President Steinmeier to decide on the dissolution of the parliament and call for elections, with a 21-day window to make this decision and elections required to be held within 60 days post-dissolution.
The leaders of major political parties had previously reached a consensus on the election date of February 23, advancing it by 7 months from the original plan.
President Steinmeier warned about possible external interference in the elections, stating that this “poses a threat to democracy, whether covert, as seen recently in the elections in Romania, or open and blatant, especially as happening on platform X.”
In early December, Romania’s Supreme Court declared the first round of the country’s presidential elections invalid, with accusations of online coordination by Russia in support of a pro-Russian right-wing candidate who won the first round.
Chancellor Scholz failed a vote of confidence on December 16, leading to a caretaker government in Germany. The three-party alliance he led disintegrated due to disagreements on economic policies.
Current polls indicate that conservative challenger Friedrich Merz may replace Chancellor Scholz, with most polls showing the conservatives leading over the Social Democratic Party (SPD) led by Scholz by over ten percentage points. The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) slightly ahead of the SPD, ranks second, while the Greens, previously allied with Scholz, are in fourth place.
Germany’s electoral system traditionally results in coalition governments. With no party projected to secure an absolute majority, it is anticipated that there will be weeks of negotiations post-election to form a new government.
However, as mainstream parties refuse to cooperate with the Alternative for Germany, the parliamentary situation is set to become more complex and unstable.
Key issues in this election include immigration, ways to boost the sluggish economy, and how best to support Ukraine in resisting Russia.
(References: Reuters and Associated Press)